Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis cultivar Boston.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hibiscus, botanically known as Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Bostonxe2x80x99.
The new Hibiscus is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis cultivar Charleston, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,216. The cultivar Boston was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within a population of plants of the cultivar Charleston in a controlled environment in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, in 2000.
Asexual reproduction of the new Hibiscus by vegetative terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, since 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Hibiscus are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Boston has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Bostonxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Bostonxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Compact, upright and uniform plant habit that is appropriate for container production.
2. Freely branching habit.
3. Glossy dark green leaves.
4. Freely and continuous flowering habit.
5. Light orange-colored flowers.
6. Good resistance to flower bud abscission.
Plants of the new Hibiscus are most similar to plants of the cultivar Charleston. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, plants of the new Hibiscus differed from plants of the cultivar Charleston primarily in flower color as plants of the cultivar Charleston had red-colored flowers.